Moving-picture camera.



APILIOATION FILED 00T. 29, 1908.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909..

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45, 233 29 011 9 I I /l/M WWW/VM .3 @9i/Immo@ Z gg jl/wanton E. MEREDITH-JONES.

MOVING PIGTURE CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED 0012.29, 190e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wmme@ www Jam/ UNITED STATES lPATENT oFFIoE.

HUBERT MEnEDI'rH-JONES, or NEW Yonx, N. Y., AssmNoa or ONE-HALE 'ro CHARLES M. HAYES, or NEW Yonx, N. Y.

MOVING-PICTURE CAMERA.

Specification of Lette-rs Patent.

my invention is to avoid the many disadvantages present in the types of moving picture VVVcameras now in use.

Avantage of The Vcameras at present in use either involve the use of a film moving at a constant speed, in which case recourse is had to an intermittently moving mirror to cause the image to move at the same s eed las the movingfilm, or the film itself 1s intermittently moved, stopping for each picture to be taken. The disadvantages ofthe first mentioned system are very pronounced, as a great deal of the light is absorbed by the mirror in being reflected from .the superficial surface thereof back to the main reflecting surface, or the reverse, and owing to the partial polarization of the light which falls upon themirror. Again, a further disadvantage of this system results from the fact that it is impossible to construct an absolutely perfect mirror, so that the image is always to some extent distorted; and a still further disadthe same system is that the imperfections inthe image are magnified by reflectlon from the mirror'to the moving strip of film. It 1s` because of these numerous dis-I advantagesthat this particularv system hasnot come into practical use. In the case of the other system where use is made of an intermittently movin bility 'to tear the fi m because of the sudden starting and stopping ofthe same through the action of'certain fingers which register with the holes located at the sidesof the film for the ur ose of advancing the same. Because o this construction, furthermore, it is necessary to make the said holes somewhat larger thanthe arms or fingers which are intendedto. fit within the same. This results in allowing the film to move to some extent out of its exact registering position, the ultimate result. of which is to produce a flickering on the screen when the pictures are projected by means of a lantern. Again, Aa number of machines of this type depend for film, there is a great liaan advancement of the film, upon giving the film during each movement a certain momentum whichv 1s intended to carry it to a Patented Dec. 14, 1909.`

new position, part of which movement is del signed to be carried'out during the disengagement of the moving fin ers, In machines of this character a di erencein the, f

weight of the filn at a certain point, or in its thickness. and consequent friction against the guides, results in preventing the film from stopping at the exact deslred point after having received its momentum above referred to. This also results in the production of a lack of registry Aof the pictures in the ultimate projection of the' film upon a screen. In my apparatus I avoid all of these objections by constructing the apparatus so that the film is continuously moved during the time that the pictures are being taken and also, of course, during the interval between the taking Vof the individual pictures. At the same time I do not find it necessary to make'use of a mirror for projectin a moving image upon the moving strip of fm, but have discovered that with an apparatus such as that embodying my invention, excellent, clear cut and effective pictures can be taken while the film is moving. 4

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment ofgmy invention, in

which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the cameraconstituting one embodiment ofrmy invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and. Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmental views of details, to be hereinafter described. In the drawings, 1 is a case for the camera, having a door 2 supported upon hinges 3 and adapted to be locked into, its closed osition by means of spring catches 4. It will be noted that the door is provided with a raised surface 5 on its inner face so as to make a light ti ht joint. A lens 6 fits within a cylinder which has an aperture' 8 openin through the camera case. The lens may, o course, be of any ordinary or usual type. I have provided the inner end of the cylinder 7 with a short adjustable cylinder 9 which is designed to be placed in position in the rear end of the cylinder 7 after the lens has been placed in its proper position. The purpose of the adjustable cylinder 9 is a second cylinder extending rearwardly within the camera and supported upon a CTI bracket 11 projecting fromthe camera case 1. Immediately in the rear of the second cylinder 10, I locate .the edge of a rotary shutter 12, which is constructed in the shape of a truncated cone and comprises two shells, an inner shell 13 and an outer shell 14 of this shape, the conical parts of said shells 13 and 14 being each provided with two square apertures 15 registering with each other. These shells 13 and 14 are adapted to be rotated and are therefore situated upon a movable axis located at such an angle to the cylinders 7 and 10 as to cause the conical portions of the shells 13 and 14 to'fit squarely over the rear end of the cylinder 10. The two shells 13 and 14 are movable upon thesame axis independently of each other, for the purpose of decreasing` or increasing the size of the `light aperture. In order to effect this relative movement, the

kinner shell is located upon a main shaft 16, which extends outside of the camera case 1,l

and is provided with a milledv head 17 located at this point, and the outer shell 14 is -located upon a sleeve 18 which is provided with a similar milled head 19 also located on the outside of the casing. The' milled head 19 is provided with graduations 20 upon vits periphery, and the milled head '17 has extendingtherefrom a pointer 21 so as to indicate the relative position ofthe shells 13 and 14. After van adjustment has been made of the relative positions of the milled y heads 17 and 19, and as a consequence the shells 13 and 14, a thumb screw 22, which is located-upon the end of the shaft 16, is screwed up so as` to tighten the milled head 17 against the milled head 19 and thus retain them in their adjusted positions.l In order to effect this arrangement, the milled head 17 is carried loosely upon the shaft 16, to which it is secured by means of splines.

The film is introduced into the camera l -upon a s ool 24, located at the upper rear corner o the casing. In starting the film preparatoryl totaking pictures, the film is led forwardly over a spool/25, which is carried loosely upon a shaft 26 supported in horizontal position from a vertical bar 27. The spool 25Linstead of being a mere idler or guide may, however, be substituted by a positively driven spool` driven Y from the common source of movement. After leaving the spool 25, the film 23 is led along .the

rear faceof a plate 28 vattached to oneV sidel of the bar 27 and provided with an aperture 29, the size of the individual picture to be taken. Opposite the aperture' 29 and extending a considerable distance above and below the same,` I haveilocated a rear guideplate 30, which is hingedj at 31 to the vertical bar 27. This plate 30 may be-covered with soft fabric or cushioning material 32 of any desired character. Along the same portion of the plate 28 and on the outer edge thereof opposite the hinges 31 of the rear guide-plate 3G, I have located a short guide bar 33 so as to prevent any lateral movement of the film. When once the hn has been inserted between the plate 28 and the rear guide-plate 30, the latter is moved upon its hinges until it lies flat upon the plate 28, when a cate 34 is moved so as to secure'it in this position. rlhe film which is provided with a series of holes on either side thereof is now led over a bobbin having teeth 36 thereon which are adapted to register with the two series of holes on the two sides of thestrip of hlm.

A.. spring-pressed idler 37 provided with two pairs of annular projections 38, each of which is designed to fit around the teeth 36. is adapted to press the film upwardly against the under face of the bobbin 35. rIhe idler 37 is carried in a bracket 39 having arms 40, to which the idler is pivoted,/and is itself pivoted in the jnorlrlrrnals/4T attached to the casing'liJ/"spring 42 is located upon a portion of the bracket 39, extending between the journals 41, and has one end 43 extended along the inner face of the camera casing, and the other end 44 twisted aroundl one of the arms 40, so as to cause thebracket 39 to be always maintained incontact with the bobbinrl'. After leaving. the bobbinA 35, the

Yfilm is led around a lspool 45 carried upon a positively driven shaft 46 from which it is adapted to be detachable for the purpose of inserting newspools. The shaft 46 carries a sprocket wheel 47 having a chain 48 connecting the same with a larger sprocket Wheel 49 carried upon. a shaft 50. The said shaft 50 is adapted to be positively driven from a handle 51 located on the outside of the camera case 1, which handle may be removed if desired from connection with the shaft 5() by rotating the handle in a lefthand direction. The camera is adapted to be operated by moving the handle in the re-l verse or right-hand direction. The shaft 50 also carries a large gear wheel 52, which is connected by a suitable mechanical movement to the bobbin 35 for driving the same ata variable speed. The object of this arrangement is to move the film at a relatively low speed during the time that the picture is being taken, and a relatively high speed during the interval between the taking of the pictures. Any of the many ty es of mechanical movements may be used fidi e4ffecting this end, but in the embodiment of my invention'shown in the accompanying drawings, I. have shown this feature of my apparatus as comprising a pair of elliptical gears 53 and 54, which mesh with one another, the former gear 53 being carried u on ,al shaft' 55 supported by the bar 27. ghe

shaft 55 also carries a smaller circular gear 56 which meshes with the -gear v52 located upon the shaft 50. The other elliptical gear 54 is carried upon a shaft 57 similar in every respect to the shaft 55. This shaft 57 also .carries a small gear wheel 58, from which motion is conveyed by any suitable train of gears 59 to the bobbin 35. Upon rotating the handle 51, it will -thus be seen that the film is constantly advanced by the bobbin 35, and the film is re-wound upon the spool 45 by means of the sprocket and chain above referred to. l y

At the top of the camera I locate an indicator for indicatin the completion of the unwinding of the fi m from the spool 24. This indicator comprises aA shaft 60 havingia pointer 61 extending on the outside of the casing above a graduated disk 62;

and an arm 63, which extends beneath the film 23. The shaft 60 also carries a Weighted arm 64 which operates to withdraw the arm 63 toward the rear of the camera. lWhen the film is inserted in the camera, the arm 63 is moved toward the front thereof beneath the film 23,-and is retained in this position throughout the operation of the camera until the film is entirely unwound from the spool 24vandwound upon the spool When the film is in this manner cntlrely unwound, the arm 63 is carried toward the rear of the camera through the action of the weighted-arm 64, and this movement is indicated by the pointer 61 located upon the outside of the camera casing 1.

, The film holders carrying the spools 24 i and v25 are held in their proper positions in the camera by means of screws 65 and 66, which project from and are operable `from the outside of the camera.

The sleeve 18 carries a gear 67 which is so positioned 'as-to mesh with the gear 52,

. to drive the shutter.

-In the operation of the apparatus, a film carried upon a spool 24 is inserted' at'the rear of thecamera; the free end of the` film is led over the arm 63 which has beenpreviously .'moved toward the 1 front of' the camera and the'film is then passedaround the spool 25 and led between the plate 28 andcthe rear guide plate 30. The rear guide 'plate.30 hasof course, been moved rearwardl'yupon its hinges'31, s 'o as to permit the film to beinscrted.A Afterthe insertion ofthef film' betweenthe v plates 28 and 30, the plate 30 is again moved into-its usual position .parallel jwith the lplate 28, where it' 1s retained by means ofthe catch 34. The film is then led downwardly around the hobbin A35 and overl the idler 37. f Finally the film is attached atits end tothe spool 45 which is carried upon the shaft" 46. If now it'is desired to take a picture of a moving bject it is vmerely necessary to turn the handle* 51 slowly in a right-handdirection.

This results in a constant feeding or movement of the film along the plate 28 through the agency of the bobbin 35, the teeth 36 of `which register with the holes in the two sides of the film. The nature of the gearing is such, however, ast-o cause the film to move somewhat slowly while a picture is being taken and then to move much more rapidly during theinterval before the taking of the next succeeding picture. During this constant'feeding of the film. the shutter is, of course, also constantly rotated, the apertures of the shutter beingadapted to register with the aperture 29 in the plate 28 at the times ,when it is intended/for pictures to be taken.

The light aperture in the shutter can, of course, be varied by moving the two conical shells 13 and 14 relatively to one another and setting them in any given position. When the film has been entirely unwound, the arm 63 is moved by `'means of the attached weighted lever 64, and the pointer 61 indicates on the outside of the casing that the film has been entirely used up.' I have thus discovered that sharp, effective pictures can he taken upon a constant y moving film, an arrangement which has many advantages. The pictures can be taken more rapidly" bythis system because of the' constant movement of .the film, and there is much less liability to fracture the film, as it is not required to constantly start and stop it in the ordinary operation of the machine. There is, furthermore, more regularity and uniformity in the pictures so produced, as the film is constantly moved forward by engagement with a circular bobbin with which .it 1s always in register.

While I have described by invention above y in detail, I wish it to be understood that I consider -my invention to be a broad one and capable of many changes and adaptations without departing from the spirit thereof. Many of the features of my invention are equally applicable to a projecting machine.

l I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, the combination of a camera case, means for constantly moving a film therein and means for projecting an image of the object to be taken straight from the object to the film while moving.

2. In a moving picture camera, the combination of a camera case, means for moving a film .therein constantlyr and at a variable speed, and means forexposing said film to the light while moving, to take a photograph.

3. In a moving picture camera, the combi-1 nation of a camera case, means for moving a film therein constantly and at .a variable s eed and means for exposing the film to the i llght during the slow movement thereof, to

take a photograph.

4. In combination, acamera case, ellip` tical gearing for movin a nlm therein con- ,means for exposing said ilm to the light Whilemoving, to take a photograph. 5. ln combination, a camera case, ellipstantly and at a variable speed, and means for admitting the light thereto during the slow movement thereof, to take a phot@ graph.

6. ln combination, a camera case, a spool therein for carrying a ilm, means for moving the nlm therein constantly and at a variable speed, a positively driven spool for winding up the lilm as it is used, and means for exposing said lm to the light While moving, to take a photograph.

7. ln a device of the character described, the combinationwf a camera case, an upper guide .roll for carrying a film therein, a lower feeding bobbin for feeding the film, means for constantly moving said bobbin at a variable s eed and means for exposing said lilm to the light, to take a photograpl 8. In combination, a camera case, means for moving a film therein at a certain speed While light is being admitted to it and at a faster speed until the light is again. ad-

mitted, and means for exposing said lm to the light to take a photograph. L

9. ln a device of the character described, the combination of case, means for constantly moving a film therein, means for projecting light upon said moving nlm, and ineansfor maintaining said iilm in the same plane While the light is being projected upon it. l

l0. ln a. device of the character described, the combination of a case, means for constantly moving atilm therein at a variable speed, means for projecting light upon said moving film and means for maintaininoA said lilm in the same plane While the light is be-v ing projected upon it.

l1. ln a device or" the character described, the combination'of a case, a spool therein for carrying ailm, means for constantly moving said ilm at a variable speed, and means .for projecting light upon said moving film.

In testimony t viat I 'claim the foregoingl ffaye hereunto -setimy hand HUBERT MEREDITH-JGNE S.

litnesses: i

lll. MEIKLE, Env/1N J. Pmimnn. 

